Photographic view-finder.



PATENTED JULY 21, 190i8 W. R. ELLIOTT. PHOTOGRAPHIG VIEW FINDER.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 13, 1908.

wit" eon:

- IUNITEDISTATES PATENT OFFICE.

WAGGAMANR. ELLIOTT, OF NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA.

PHOTOGRAPHIC VIEW-FINDER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 21, 1908.

Application filed August 13, 1906. Serial No. 330,417.

To all whom it may, concern:

Be it known that I, WAGG MAN R. EL- Lio'rr, a' citizen of the United States, residing at New Orleans, in-the parish of Orleans and State of Louisiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Photographic View-Finders, of which the following is a specification. I This invention relates to view-finders for photographic cameras and it has particular reference to that class of view-finders which are pivoted upon the camera box or casing.

' so as to be capable of being turned to present sitions, to eliminate box is being turned. for the in either position 0 the right side uppermost when the camera purpose of taking a picture with the long side edges of the plate in a vertical or in a horizontal position, as the case may be. It is obvious that in viewfinders of this class, if a rectangular View 0 ening of dimensions proportionate to the p ate is used, such view opening will it onlyin one position of the camera and view-finder. If, on the other hand, the view aperture is made sufliciently large to take in the full view the camera and viewfinder, the operator is compelled, in both poportions of the view by far from being accurate. been made having view guess work which is View-finders have apertures formed in the shapeof-a cross including two rectangles of dimensions proportionate to the plate intersecting each other at right angles, but even with-a view aperture of this shape the operator is obliged to mentally eliminate portions of the view in order to determine exactly what portions of the visible image will be included in the pic ture.

The present invention has for its object to.

provlde a simply constructed device which may be readily attached to or detached from a camera and which will exhibitt'o the vision an image circumscribed by the precise di-' mensions of the plate, thus enabling the r operator to perceive at a glance what will ap ear inthe picture and nothing more.

ith this and. other. ends in view which will readily appear as the nature of the invention is better understood the same consists'essentially in the combination with a view-finder of a plate provided with a movable disk having a view a erture proportionate to the dimensions of t e picture that is to be taken; said movable disk beingcapable of being shifted to proper position according to the position of the camera and view-finder 'tion; Fig. '2 is a longitudina ,in Fi 5 of the drawings.

,and said plate and its attachments adapted having the view'apertur in different positions; Fi 5 is a detail plan view of the disk having t e view aperture; Fig. 6 is a perspective view showing the invention embodied in an attachment to an ordinary viewfinder; Fig. .7 is .a transverse sectional view of said attachment; and Fig. 8 is a detail view of the top or cap plate. showinga modifled arrangement of the guiding flan e.

Corresponding parts in the severa figures are denoted'by like characters of reference' A in the drawing designates the casing of a view-finder which is made,-as usual, inlthe eneral shape of a right angled rism the out of which is fitte the rear of which lens, I grees, is arranged a reflecting mirror 2; the magnifying lens 3' being supportedflnear the to of the casing. .{i l

he casing A is provided witha' top or cap plate provided with the flanges 4 dependmg over the casing A and also' provided upon its under face with an annular uiding flange 5 for support of the disk 6 having the view aperture 7, said disk being referably but not necessarily of the circular s ape seen that t e disk is preferably the magnifying glass 3. The view aperture 7 is of rectangular shape, its sidesbeing suitably proportioned according to the dimensions-of the camera in connection with which the view-finder isusedr. The disk 6 is provided with a lever' or hahdle 8 whereby mounted adjacent it may be conveniently manipulated; and

stops 9 are provided upon the casing A to limit theihovement .of the disk by contact with the lever r handle. i

Theicasin of thevieiv-find'er is provided upon its inclined rear wall with a bracket 10 an object ensj lfand in 7 at. an angle of 4.5V de- It will be seen for the passage of a pin or bolt whereby it may be pivotally mounted upon the case of the camera.

It will be readily seen that when the camera is turned for the purpose of taking a picture with its long side edges in a horizontal or in a perpendicular osition, as the case may be, the position 0 the disk having the view aperture may be correspondingly shifted, so that the image visible through the View aperture .will include precisely that which will appear in the picture and no more, thus dispensing with the necessity of men tally eliminating portions of the image, the advantages of which will be equally apparent to professional operators and to amateurs.

The invention may also be advantageously applied to existing view-finders by resorting to the construction illustrated in Figs. 6 and 7 ol the drawings. In said views is shown a casing B comprising a top or cap plate 1 1 provided with flanges 12 through which may be passed set screws 13 to secure the top plate in place and to enable the attachment to be readily removed. This top plate 11 is provided with the usual view aperture 14. Adapted to be fitted over the top plate 1]. is a plate 15 of my attachment, having a circular opening 16 and a depending flange 17 forming a circular guide for the rotatable mounting of the disk -18, having a view aper- 'ture 19 of rectangular form: The disk is provided with a handle 20 adapted to enga e the stop members 21 upon the plate 15. t will thus be seen that this attachment may be readily mounted upon an ordinary viewfinder and secured thereto in any suitable manner. It will also be seen that the attachment itself consists of the plate 15 provided with means for rotatably sup orting a disk-shaped member provided with the rectangular shaped opening, and the operating handle for manipulation between the sto s 21. i

r s shown in Fig. 8, the guiding flange 22 of the disk need not necessarily depend from the to or cap plate but the same may extend from t e flanges of the top or cap plate.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the drawings hereto annexed the o eration and advantages of this invention W1 1 be readily understood by those skilled in the art to which it appertains. The construction is simple and very inexensive, and a view-finder equipped with the invention will exhibit a correctly circumscribed image of the picture that is to be taken.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed is:

1. The combination with a view finder in cluding a casing supporting the lenses and reflector devices, of a plate having an aperture, means for detachably connecting said late to said casing, a guide element carried y said plate adjacent to the aperture therein, a disk mounted for oscillation in said guide element and provided with a rectanguT lar aperture constantly opposite the aperture in said plate, and means for oscillating said disk in said guide element.

2. In a view finder of the class described including a casing, lenses, and reflector devices, a plate having an a erture, means for detachably connecting sair plate to said casing, a guide element connected to said plate and adjacent to said aperture, a disk mounted for oscillation in said guide element and provided with a rectangular aperture constantly opposite the aperture in said plate, stops spaced apart upon said plate and an arm connected to said disk and extending through the aperture of said plate and in position to alternately engage said stops.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WAGGAMAN it. lClJlJlOT'I.

Witnesses:

T. C. MACQUEENY, Jno. TWowLnY. 

